6 Signs Your Website Is Overdue for a Redesign
Websites age — fast. What once looked fresh and functional can quickly become antiquated, slow and hard to manage. Here are six signs your website is past its prime.
By Kyle Crafton
For many organizations, their websites quietly limp along — patched here and there, good enough for now, but clearly not where they should be. Sound familiar?
A full website redesign can feel like a major undertaking, which is why it’s often delayed year after year. But your website is more than a digital brochure. It’s your most visible, most visited and most valuable marketing tool, and for many audiences, it’s your first impression.
If you’re wondering whether your site needs more than a fresh coat of paint, here are five signs it’s probably time for a full redesign.
1. You avoid updating it because it’s too painful.
If changing an image, posting a blog or updating your team page requires a ticket or a workaround, your website isn’t working for you. Modern websites should be easy for your team to manage, update and grow — without a developer. Your internal capacity shouldn’t be limited by your CMS.
2. It doesn’t work well on mobile.
The majority of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your site loads slowly, looks broken on smaller screens or makes users pinch and zoom, you’re losing visitors before they even engage. Mobile-first design isn’t just a trend — it’s the baseline for usability, accessibility and SEO.
3. You can’t track what’s working (or what’s not).
A great website doesn’t just look good, it tells you what’s working. If you don’t know how people are finding you, which pages they’re dropping off on or what’s converting, you’re missing the insights that drive smart decisions. And if your site isn’t integrated with tools like Google Analytics, email platforms or your CRM, you’re probably spending too much time stitching reports together.
4. Your digital strategy is outpacing your site.
Your organization might be investing in email marketing, paid media, SEO, social content — even experimenting with AI. But if your website can’t support or amplify those efforts, you’re missing opportunities. Whether it’s a blog that can’t be indexed properly, campaign pages that aren’t optimized for conversions or a lack of integration with personalization tools, your website should work hand-in-hand with your broader digital strategy.
5. It doesn’t reflect who you are today.
Brands evolve. Strategies change. What you offer may have expanded — or narrowed. If your site still reflects who you were five or 10 years ago, it’s not helping you move forward. Your website should clearly express your mission, your voice and your value to the people who matter most.
6. It’s not accessible.
Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. From alt text and keyboard navigation to color contrast and screen reader compatibility, your site should be inclusive to all visitors. If it’s not, you’re limiting your reach (and potentially risking legal trouble).
If any of these sound familiar …
It’s probably time for more than a quick fix. A well-planned website redesign isn’t just a design project — it’s a strategic investment in how you attract, engage and convert your audiences.
Overwhelmed with how to get started?
Though the process may seem daunting, our Website Redesign 101: Getting Started Checklist will equip you with the tools needed to navigate a redesign.
Kyle’s career experience spans the media landscape, beginning as a magazine publisher and later as CFO and publisher of MediaBistro.com. He served as the publisher and GM of the Curbed Network, now part of Vox media. In 2010, he swapped New York City for Arizona and dove into agency life, leading digital initiatives — design and development, interactive marketing, UX and search — and working with clients such as Nationwide Insurance, Charles Schwab and NASCAR.
Kyle has taught courses on digital media entrepreneurship and the business and future of journalism at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. He feels at home among the many Chicago ex-pats in Phoenix. His passions include cooking, college basketball and spending time with his (significantly more talented) creative director wife, his teen children and his dog.